Chiefs announce league’s one-game suspension of Bowe

If you had “Dwayne Bowe” in this week’s “Who gets suspended as part of this Friday bad-news dump?” pool, congratulations.

The Chiefs have announced that the team’s top wideout will miss the regular-season opener for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.

“Dwayne has been given a one-game suspension by the National Football League,” the Chiefs said in a statement. “We are disappointed in the situation and will miss him on the field, but we support the league’s decision. The club will have no further comment on the matter.”

If, as it appears, Bowe received the one-game suspension even though he never actually pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana, the outcome shows that the NFL will disregard the exercise of prosecutorial discretion in a way that allows a player to escape significant criminal consequence, if the NFL wants to. Which sharply contradicts the picture painted by the NFL when clumsily defending the Ray Rice suspension.

Potentially bigger than missing the game against Tennessee, the suspension voids the guarantees money in 2014 and 2015 in Bowe’s pretty heavy contract. Makes it easier for KC to cut ties as Bowe has under performed during the deal and has been dropping passes all over training camp.

Not legally prosecutor possession of marajunna: 1 game suspension
Beat your woman unconscious on tape: 2 game suspension
Forget to file paperwork on doctor proscribed drug you have taken since age 9: 4 game suspension

Can someone please explain how these players can be so stupid??? Were they all raised with money so that way they dont appreciate it now or am i missing something. You have the world at your finger tips and they continue to do this crap. I don’t get it.

There has to be more to this than what is being reported. Assuming this is Bowe’s first violation of the Substance Abuse Policy, the punishment is inconsistent with the violation but not in the way most think.

If you read the policy, punishment for the first offense is entry into stage 2 and a fine but no suspension. Bowe did not plead guilty to nor was he convicted of possession so he is being disciplined under the subjectively worded behavior clause of the policy that gives the league discretion in the absence of a positive test or a player self referral.

So he got a suspension when the policy clearly does not call for one for first offenders. Had he already been in stage 2, the penalty would be admission to stage 3, a fine and a 4 game suspension.

In his case quoting the prosecutor “After considering all relevant information in light of applicable law it was determined this was the appropriate disposition”

Prosecutors decided to let him enter the program and eventually clear his record thereby skipping trial and not being charged with assault. Yet the NFL inflicted their own version of justice despite the exercise of prosecutorial discretion shown by this prosecutor.

Goodell is turning this league into a laughing stock ! Adjust the rules every year to cater to the need of a few and now suspend a player that wasn’t convicted of a crime “other than littering and equipment failure” Enjoy the NFL while you can fellas cuz it wont be here much longer

He is doing it so the Chiefs will cut bait with him and save instant money against the cap and Bowe will have an easier time catching on with another team. Someone will more than likely want to have him for 15 games than 12. He hands the suspension down now, the Chiefs can officially act on it and cut him. He then gets signed and immediately gets into camp to learn the playbook, sits in idle for a week and is back on the field. Guaranteed.